Identifier

UA 53.3

Dates

1965-1986

Extent

0.84 linear feet (2 document cases) sound recording

Abstract

Allen Barnes was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 1967-1985. This collection consists of material related to the Centennial celebration of South Dakota State University, Barnes’ term as Dean of Arts and Sciences, and his work on getting a Performing Arts Center established on campus.

Historical Note

Allen Barnes was born June 12, 1926 in Newport, Nebraska. He attended Hastings College in Nebraska, graduating in 1948, went on to the University of Idaho, and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Madrid in 1952. After serving for several years at Chadron State College in Nebraska, Barnes accepted a position as the Executive Director of the Bi-national Institute in Tehran, Iran. He followed this position with work in a similar position in Concepcion, Chile. In 1961, he and his family moved to Brookings, South Dakota, where he was head of the Department of Foreign Languages at South Dakota State University [SDSU]. In 1967, he became Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, a position he held until 1985. He was preceded as Dean by Frank G. Schultz, and was followed by Rex Myers.

While Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Barnes worked tirelessly to promote the college on the campus. He realized early on the problems inherent in being a non-practical arts and non-agricultural college in the university. He also worked hard to improve the facilities delegated to the various departments of the college. His strong push for a performing arts center is only one example of this. He also worked hard to advertise the credits of his faculty, both through his biannual reports on the college and through his "state of the college" speeches delivered annually.

Another long time crusade of Barnes was to improve the state of international relations/education on campus. He long promoted the study of foreign languages, and he felt strongly that foreign study was an essential part of education. In addition, he took an active role in helping foreign students on campus acclimatize and realize the full potential and extent of their education at SDSU and in Brookings. In 1985, Barnes left his position as Dean and returned to the Department of Foreign Language, where he taught until his full retirement in 1989. This collection was donated to the archives upon his retirement.

Content Notes

This collection is composed of material related to the Centennial celebration of South Dakota State University in 1981, Barnes' term as Dean of Arts and Sciences, and his work on getting a Performing Arts Center established on campus.

Series 1. Centennial celebration records.

The Centennial Celebration records are composed of Barnes' files relating to the Centennial celebration of the college. The majority of them are related to the College of Arts and Sciences activities related to the events on campus. Included are the College of Arts and Science centennial committee notes, transcripts of lectures given in the College, copies of departmental histories, correspondence, files from various activities such as the dinner dance, the musical production, an art exhibit, scholarship activities, a special course, and alumni days activities. Also included are some material related to the Theodore Schultz Symposium and the Centennial Steering Committee subcommittee responsible for it. This series offers a more in depth look at what went on during the Centennial year in this particular college, an aspect touched upon without depth in the Centennial Steering Committee files.

Series 2. Barnes as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Dean of the College of Arts and Science records are from when Barnes served as Dean and are composed of files related to Barnes' term as Dean of Arts and Sciences. Included are the transcripts of speeches he made, notes from the South Dakota State University marching band's 1981 trip to Washington DC (which he chaperoned), memos on the creative activities of the College of Arts and Sciences (which later became a publication called "Hear Ye"), and much material on a topic very important to him, the internationalization of education.

Series 3. Performing Arts Center records.

The Performing Arts Center records series composed of material related to Barnes' tireless attempts to get a Performing Arts Center built on campus. These files are illuminating in their scope. They provide insight into planning and fundraising efforts, the vast amount of data stored to promote such an effort, and the way in which the project was approached. Included in this material are letters, newspaper clippings about both the problems here at South Dakota State University, and the way in which other universities approached the problem.

SDSU Archives and Special Collections

Follow this link for more information:

https://www.sdstate.edu/sdsu-archives-and-special-collections/university-archives

Language

English

Publisher

South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library, Brookings, South Dakota.

Rights

Copyright restrictions apply in different ways to different materials. Many of the documents and other historical materials in the Archives are in the public domain and may be reproduced and used in any way. There are other materials in the Archive carrying a copyright interest and must be used according to the provisions of Title 17 of the U.S. Code. The Archive issues a warning concerning copyright restrictions to every researcher who requests copies of documents. Although the copyright law is under constant redefinition in the courts, it is ultimately the responsibility of the researcher to properly use copyrighted material.

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